South African police seize alleged Congo coup plotters

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An M23 rebel stands guard in the village of Kanyarucinya, in eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo, on November 18, 2012.

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Police seized 19 suspected Congolese rebels in South Africa, an official says

They are accused of plotting a coup in the Democratic Republic of the Congo

A Congolese government spokesman says the suspects have links to the M23 rebel group

The M23 rebels seized the city of Goma late last year

An elite South African police squad has arrested 19 suspected Congolese rebels in a remote corner of northern South Africa, an official said, in a raid that may have headed off a coup attempt.

"The grouping's objective was to receive specialized military related training to overthrow the current DRC government, under the leadership of President Joseph Kabila," Makhosini Nkosi, a spokesman for the National Prosecuting Authority, said in a statement Tuesday.

The alleged coup plotters were tracked to a remote area of Limpopo province, suggesting long-term surveillance by South African law enforcement.

The National Prosecuting Authority said that no South Africans have been linked to the suspects but that further arrests were possible.

Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Crisis in DR Congo – The M23 rebel group is fighting the Democratic Republic of Congo military for control of the country, and the violence is driving tens of thousands of Congolese out of their homes. Here on November 22, thousands fled the town of Sake and headed east to the camps for displaced in the village of Mugunga.

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Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

M23 – On November 26, M23 commanders refused to leave the city of Goma ahead of a midnight deadline imposed by regional leaders and the African Union. Pictured, rebel soldiers stand guard at the former Congolese army headquarters in Goma, on November 23, 2012.

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Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Crisis in DR Congo – Lokuli Loleko Prince finds the body of his father in Goma on November 21, 2012. Lokuli's father, a government military doctor, was killed in fighting between the government army and M23 rebels as they took the provincial capital.

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Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Crisis in DR Congo – Thousands of Congolese flee the town of Sake, 26km west of Goma, on November 22, 2012.

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Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Crisis in DR Congo – A displaced Congolese woman registers at a camp for displaced persons at Mugunga, 8km from the centre of Goma on November 22, 2012.

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Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Crisis in DR Congo – Spokesman of the M23 rebel group Lieutenant-Colonel Vianney Kazarama addresses a crowd at the Volcanoes Stadium in Goma on November 21, 2012.

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Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Crisis in DR Congo – Residents of Goma listen to M23 rebel group spokesman at the Volcanoes Stadium in Goma on November 21, 2012.

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Crisis in DR Congo – Surrendered police officers hand-in their weapons at the Volcanoes Stadium in Goma, in the east of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on November 21, 2012.

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Crisis in DR Congo – Twelve year old amputee Kakule Elie, hit by a stray bullet, lies in a bed in a hospital in Goma on November 20, 2012.

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Photos:Crisis escalates in DR Congo

Crisis in DR Congo – Uruguayan United Nations peacekeepers look through binoculars at M23 rebel positions on the outskirts of Goma.

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Crisis in DR Congo – Displaced Congolese sit inside a United Nations base in Monigi, 5km from Goma, as they seek shelter after being forced to flee a temporary camp, on November 18, 2012.

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Crisis in DR Congo – A displaced Congolese woman carries her belongings as she enters a United Nations base in Monigi, 5km from Goma on November 18, 2012.

"They were planning terrorist attacks in South Africa targeting Congolese officials and in DRC. Their ultimate aim was to overthrow the regime," said Mende, citing internal discussions with South African counterparts.

But the National Prosecuting Authority said that no links have been established between the 19 men arrested Tuesday and the M23 group.

M23 rebel commanders, who are engaged in sporadic peace talks with the Congolese government, were not immediately available for comment.

Mende said the arrested men also had links to former Congolese strongman Mobutu Sese Seko, who ruled the country, then known as Zaire, for more than three decades.

The arrested men will appear in court in Pretoria, South Africa, on Thursday accused of contravening anti-mercenary laws.